Greater Good Promotes Quinn to CEO

Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company, America’s First All-Imperial Brewery®, announced the internal promotion of Colleen Quinn to be their new Chief Executive Officer. Quinn, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) since January 2022, will officially assume the role of CEO starting July 1. 

Paul Wengender, a biotechnology and brewing entrepreneur, founded the popular all-imperial brewery back in 2016 in Worcester MA with what many consumers might call a lofty goal: brew a strong beer that didn’t taste too strong. 

“Most of the high ABV beers on the market in the early 2000s were too boozy,” said Wengender. “So, I set out with a mission of constructing high ABV beers that didn’t carry that prevalent alcohol burn. The history for Greater Good actually dates to my back porch in 2006: home brewing high octane beers and tinkering with a variety of homegrown hops, different yeast strains, grain bills, and hopping techniques. Our liquids steadily improved up until our launch in 2016, and now those recipes are produced at our state-of-the-art Worcester brewery by an elite team of brewers/owners.” 

During a period of time that has seen a spike in low/no alcohol beers and low calorie alternatives such as hard seltzers, one might question whether there is enough validation in the market for beers that register between 8-12% ABV. Wengender and the Greater Good team have always maintained that there are more than enough customers who would choose quality over quantity – and the growth of the brewery over the past four years has only strengthened their resolve.

“Six years since our launch, we know that there is consumer demand and appreciation for the unique liquids we bring to the market, and we have also found someone who can take this discovery and catalyze the next phase of growth of the company. Colleen Quinn is absolutely the person I trust to lead Greater Good into the next stage of its journey.”

Quinn has been serving in her capacity as Chief Commercial Officer since January 2022, focusing on driving growth of Greater Good with leadership over the the sales, marketing, and taproom teams. Her appointment to Chief Executive Officer further capitalizes on her proven strength and allows her the opportunity to lead the expansion of the entire organization.

“When I started working for Greater Good, I was blown away by the conviction – both of the team and the brand,” said Quinn. “This was a brewery that was doing something truly differentiated, and owning our position as America’s first and only all-imperial brewery continues to be both our primary focus and a big point of pride.  As we look towards the future, we’ll turn that differentiation into more growth, aspiring to gain a 50% share of the imperial, high-ABV market.”

Prior to joining Greater Good as a consultant in 2021, Colleen Quinn spent five years at Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) in a variety of roles, including leading strategy, mergers & acquisitions, and eventually leading their East Coast business as General Manager. After CBA was acquired by Anheuser Busch, Colleen joined as head of strategy for the combined 21-brewery craft business unit. Shortly after, Quinn started her own consulting company, Second Sip Beverage Consulting.

In addition to her experience, Quinn’s promotion to CEO is of particular note in an industry where many female leaders have rarely found a path to leadership outside of founding a brewery themselves or elevating as part of a family-owned brewery. Quinn comes from outside of Greater Good, and has very quickly risen to the most senior leadership role in the company based on her industry expertise and passion for the brand.

Quinn will officially take over as CEO of Greater Good on Friday, July 1. Paul Wengender will remain as Executive Chair of the company’s Board of Directors.    

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